Regulator for hot-water systems.



W. L. BELKNAP & M. G. CUNNINGHAM.

REGULATOR FOR HOT WATER SYSTEMS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. 1910.

1,140,565.? Patented May 25, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

l w l/WE/gRS v f1; ATTORNEY w. L. BELK AP & M. e. CUNNINGHAM.

REGULATOR FOR HOT WATER SYSTEMS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE15, 1910,

1,140,565 Patented May 25,1915.

2 snzns suscr 2.

- ATTORNEY WILLIAM L. BELKNAP AND MICHAEL G. CUNNINGHAM, OF BRIDGEPOBT, CONNECTICUT.

REGULATOR FOR HOT-WATER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Application filed June 15, 1910. Serial No. 566,901.

I To all whom z'tmay concern:

seated against the shoulder 4".

Be it known that we, WILLIAM L. BED- KNAP and MionAnn G. CUNNINGHAM, citizens of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Regulators for Hot- VVater Systems; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to heat and pressure regulators for hot water systems, and it consists in certain details of construction to be more specifically set forthin the following specification.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 represents a detached side elevation of the device; Fig. 2 is a central sectional view of the regulator on line a a, of Fig. 3, broken View v of the overflow orexpansion tank and pipe connecting the same with the regulator, and

ulator to the boiler; Fig. 3 is an upper plan view of the regulator; Fig. 4 is a view of one of the detachable valve cages and valve; Fig. 5 is an end view of the valve cage looking in the direction of arrow 1) of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is an end view of the valve cage looking in the direction of arrow 0 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of the valve cage online 03 d of Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the spring controlling plugs; and Fig. 9 is a detail view of one of the valve spindle guides.

The'body or casing 1 of the reservoir is interiorly divided by the partition 2 into the two compartments A B, and removably located in this partition are the valve cages 3 and 4, presently to be described.

5 is a pipe screwed into the threaded opening or port 6 in the bottom of the casing which communicates with a boiler or other source of heat or hot water (not shown), and 7 is a pipe screwed'into the threaded opening or port 8 in the upperwall of the casing which communicates with the overflow tank 9.

The safety or outlet valve cage 4 (see also Fig. 4) comprises a shell having the thread threaded hole in the partition 2 and firmly Elongated openings 10 are formed in the shell for the discharge of hot water into the chamber B, presently to bedescribed.

11 is a hollow plug removably screwed into the lower end of the shell of the cage and is provided with openings 12 (Fig. 4) for the admission of hot water from the lower chamber A, andthe valve seat or out let port 13 is rovided at the top of this plug for the sa ety or outlet valve 14, which valve has, the lower fluted-stem 15 (see also Fig. '6.) guided in the hole 16 in the end of this hollow plug. The upper valve stem 15 is movably. located in the guide 17 (see also Fig. 9), and 18 is a screw plug located in the upper threaded end of the cage 4, and between the lower end of the guide 17 and the valve 14 isthe high pressure spring-19, the tension of which is regulated by the plug 18 contacting with the upper surface of the guide. I

The object of separating the screw-plug and-guide is that the guide can move laterally and thus centralize itself with respect to the valve seat regardless as to whether the said seat was in axial-alinement with the plug or not, so that the valve will always reseat itself without any tendency to cramp. With the exception of the difference in the size and strength of the springs 19 and 20, the construction and detail parts of the opposed cage 3, located in the chamber A, are exactly alike, but to avoid confusion will be designated by different figures of reference as follows The threaded end 3* of the cage 3 is removably screwed into a threaded hole in the partition 2 and firmly against the shoulder 3 and 21 are openings in the cage for the passage of the return water.

22 is a hollow plug similar to the plug 1 and having openings 22 therein, and 23 the valve seat or return port in its lower end for the return valve 24 whose upper fluted stem 24 is guided in said plug, and its lower stem 24 is in the guide 25 adjusted vertically by means of the threaded plug 26.

The safety valve spring 19 is adjusted to withstand 'a certain predetermined boiler pressure before the valve will be lifted from its seat. Let it be supposed that the spring 19 is set at ten pounds; when, therefore, the boiler pressure exceeds ten pounds, the valve will lift and the hot water will flow through the openings 10 in the cage 4 into the chamber B and from thence into the overflow or expansion tank 9s The tension of the light spring 20, under valve 24, is just suificient to support the weight of said valve and hold it normally against its seat, .so that, when the pressure in the chamber A has fallen below that in the chamber B, the cooler water above the valve will open said valve and flow (see arrows, Fig. 2) through .is simply to remove the overlying caps 27 and 28 and remove the cages and make such necessary repairs as are required.

The rectangular construction of the regulator, divided as it is by a partition into two chambers of practicallv the same area, each capable of holding a comparatively large body of water, is readilv susceptible to the slightest'change of heat or pressure; I The reverse position of the valves will cause the pressure that opens one of the valves to hold the other more firmlv to its seat, and thus effectually prevent any possibility of the closed valve lifting.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is In a regulator of the class described, the combination with a casing having a partition extending across the middle thereof and dividing its interior into a pair of chambers of substantially the same volume, the walls of said casing at opposite sides of said partition having ports adapted .for the fitting of the casing to a circulatory system,

said partition also having ports to establish' communication between said chambers, the walls of the casing at opposite sides of said partition each having an opening in alinement respectively with the ports of said partition, of caps for closing said openings, and a valve structure removably mounted in each port of the partition and displaceable through the opening in the casing ,which is opposite said port, said valve structures projecting in opposite directions from the partition, and each permitting a How in one direction, the flows being in opposlte directions and said valve structures being resnonslve to different pressures.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signa-.

tures in presence oftwo witnesses.

W. L. BELKNAP. MICHAEL G. CUNNINGHAM.

Witnesses:

Fnnnx H. BECKWITH, E. Moss JACKSON. 

